132 episodes

Dig into the lyrics of classic rock songs and the storytellers that created them in "Behind The Song," a podcast of essays by The Drive's Janda Lane. Hear what was happening behind the scenes while some of the most iconic songs in rock history were being written.

Behind The Song The Drive | Hubbard Radio

    • Music
    • 4.7 • 300 Ratings

Dig into the lyrics of classic rock songs and the storytellers that created them in "Behind The Song," a podcast of essays by The Drive's Janda Lane. Hear what was happening behind the scenes while some of the most iconic songs in rock history were being written.

    The ELO song scientifically proven to make you happy

    The ELO song scientifically proven to make you happy

    ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” is one of the best examples of Jeff Lynne’s particularly bouncy brand of symphonic rock, a song that holds several surprises and reveals itself more and more with each repeated listen...including the very last line of the song, which is actually an often-misheard request! It has been proven to fit a “Feel Good Song Formula” by a scientist who tested it to find the world’s happiest tune. And for such a bright, happy song, would you be surprised to know that it all came about after Lynne had been suffering from a weather-induced writer’s block, a mental funk, while holed up in Switzerland? A funk that literally ended when the sun came out. Let’s dig in to the awesome story of “Mr. Blue Sky” in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast. 

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    • 16 min
    The inspiration behind Pete Townshend’s biggest hit

    The inspiration behind Pete Townshend’s biggest hit

    The song is the biggest hit of Pete Townshend’s solo career, an infectious tune that the songwriter behind The Who has called “just a little ditty.” It’s a Hollywood favorite, used in charming romantic scenes in movies and TV shows. But like most things about this artist’s work, “Let My Love Open The Door” has a more complex and deeper meaning than what it sounds like at first. Let’s get into it in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.
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    • 10 min
    The midas touch of Pat Benatar and “We Belong”

    The midas touch of Pat Benatar and “We Belong”

    When Pat Benatar’s Tropico album was released in 1984, she was on top of the world: an established superstar talent with a string of chart-toppers, and she and her husband and musical partner Neil Giraldo were about to become first-time parents. The biggest hit from the album, “We Belong,” would become a worldwide smash, extending her golden streak on the charts. It’s a love song that was actually written by two Los Angeles musicians who were struggling to make it at the time, and its success became a windfall for them that they didn’t see coming. Get into the story in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.

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    • 11 min
    The Rolling Stones’ hit song that almost never happened

    The Rolling Stones’ hit song that almost never happened

    By 1981, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were barely talking, having differing opinions on the direction of The Rolling Stones. Making new music together seemed out of the question, but they were booked on a world tour, and needed an album to tour behind. That’s when engineer Chris Kimsey stepped in to save the day, poring over forgotten outtakes from the band’s previous sessions to cobble together what would become the Tattoo You album. The lead track, “Start Me Up,” was the biggest surprise to Keith Richards, who had written it as a reggae song but never liked what he heard when it was recorded. But, Kimsey found a diamond in the rough: when Richards and Charlie Watts briefly went into the rockin’ version we fans have come to know in one of those forgotten sessions. That outtake, after a little polishing, became one of the biggest hits of the Stones’ career, and it’s a miracle it was ever found to begin with. Get into the story in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.
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    • 11 min
    John Lennon’s message of peace at Christmas

    John Lennon’s message of peace at Christmas

    He was the first former Beatle to release a Christmas single after the band broke up, and he found a way to make a Christmas song carry a message of peace and unity without being overly saccharine. But then again, he was John Lennon. Get into the story of how his and Yoko Ono’s 1971 single “Happy XMas (War Is Over)” arrived just in time for Christmas in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.
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    • 12 min
    The mystery of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl”

    The mystery of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl”

    Neil Young’s second solo album, 1969’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, marked the first time he made an album with Crazy Horse as his backing band. Created in a rush of musical output from Young, concurrent with his work with Crosby, Stills, and Nash, it set the stage for the type of sound Young wanted to make as a solo artist: stripped back, without any fancy studio-created bells and whistles. Three of the songs on that album were written while Young had a fever from the flu, and one of them, “Cinnamon Girl,” led to Young earning the nickname “The Godfather of Grunge” decades later when bands like Nirvana embraced the the innovative way he downtuned his guitar. But who is the subject of this gritty, hypnotic tune? Find out in this episode of Behind The Song.


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    • 11 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
300 Ratings

300 Ratings

Brian Prahl ,

Great Podcast!!

I love the way Janda tells the story behind the classic rock songs!

Rosemary’s Herbs ,

Great Podcast

This podcast gives me a new perspective on familiar songs. The lives of musicians and the business of creating a hit song are both intertwined. Love the stories.

Drea2550 ,

Could be great get a better host

Janda’s voice is as fake as her name. This podcast has great potential but I can’t take the voice of the host a minute longer. Good luck I’m gone

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